Withering sustainability? The rise (and fall?) of sustainability due diligence
研究了可持续性尽职调查作为全球价值链企业行为监管工具的兴起与近期争议，以欧盟指令弱化为例，分析地缘政治和去监管压力如何威胁长期可持续目标，对国际企业有启示。
Abstract The paper examines the rise and recent contestation of sustainability due diligence as a new policy instrument for governing corporate conduct in global value chains. Emerging from decades of voluntary sustainability initiatives, due diligence has evolved into a regulatory approach that translates international commitments with regard to sustainability directly into corporate obligations, enabling regulators to govern across borders. These developments appeared to constitute a significant shift in sustainability governance enabling the further pursuit of “smart mix” policies which combine public and private governance instruments. Yet, mounting geopolitical tensions and deregulatory pressures have triggered significant political pushback against sustainability regulation. The paper illustrates this pushback by focusing on the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive which has been substantially weakened. The paper argues that this retrenchment risks undermining long-term sustainability objectives and placing firms in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. It concludes by outlining implications for international business and reflections on the liberal international order in a post-globalization context.